How LinkedIn Supports The Professional Journey—And Profits From It

If you talk to anyone about social networks, you’ll hear different things about what each one is meant for.

In an onstage interview with Sharethrough’s Co-Founder and CEO Dan Greenberg at NATIVE 2015, LinkedIn’s VP of Global Marketing Solutions Alison Engel made it clear what she wants LinkedIn to be known for.

“LinkedIn is about the journey," Engel said on stage.

Sure, people update their LinkedIn profiles as their careers change, but Engel explained that the center of gravity is about professionals who are aspirational about their careers. Even for those not actively searching for a new career move, they are looking to acquire new skills, tips and information to add to the journey.

How can LinkedIn assist in that journey?

Pulse, the news app LinkedIn acquired for $90 million in 2013 and rebranded to LinkedIn Pulse, is a central part of that journey. The most relevant tips and articles on your network are immediately served in front of your eyes in-feed.

Influencers publishing articles directly to LinkedIn was another aspect Engel highlighted, from CEOs and Stanford professors to politicians such as Hillary Clinton and Jeb Bush.

Since mid-2014, when users could begin publishing their own articles, the LinkedIn network has began seeing roughly 130,000 new posts per week.

Users are able to discover helpful and relevant content in their news feed whenever they log in, from influencers, peers and brands, finding the sweet spot of helping professionals throughout their careers.

As a user-generated content publisher and advertising platform, LinkedIn understands the importance of content discovery and is looking for brands to play an active role in that. Engel said that native, in-feed content (in the form of LinkedIn's Sponsored Updates product) is its fastest-growing advertiser product ever.